Folded card surprise device



June 5, 1951 e. H. MULLER FOLDED CARD SURPRISE DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 26, 1946 j INVENTOR.

M774 fi m BY I477 0/P/VEY June 5, 1951 cs. H. MULLER FOLDED CARD SURPRISE DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 26, 1946 INVENTOR. $41072 094% Z flaaw HTTO/P/VII/ Patented June 5, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT .OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to an amusement device. It is an object of the invention to supply an amusement device adapted to produce a startling j and amusing effect upon the person first operating it and which is capable Offurnishing additional amusement as it is tried by other unsus-' pecting persons. It is within the conception of the invention to lead a person to operate the device inadvertently and without anticipation of what is to happen. The device is physically and psychologically harmless and is well adapted to produce the effects desired.

The above and further objects and novel features of the invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description when the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose ,of illustration only and are notintended as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference for this latter purpose being had primarily to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like, reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several Fig. 3; and

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the novel blank.

Looking first at Fig. 3 there is --provicled a rectangular piece of light cardboard l having about the weight and dimensions of., a postcard, or lighter, which is folded at H and I2 parallel to the ends to provide the ears or wings l3. The wings are folded toward the observer. Diagonal folds are made along the lines 14, I5 to provide panels 16 to be folded behind the face I! of the card, as shown in Fig. l. The panels l6 are folded away from the observer.

The face 11 may be a representation of any suitable subject, such as the Sphinx shown, the offensive leader of a foreign government, or the manager of a well known athletic team. The drawing upon the wings should preferably make a part of the main design upon the face of the card when the panels are in the folded position of Fig. l.

2 In Fig. 7 is shown a piece of cardboard 2!] having such dimensions that it may be folded in back of the card I0, out of sight. This piece is folded on lines 2| and 22 to form the flange 23 and the keeper 24. The central panel 25 is adapted to be attached to the back of panel 11 of card It] in such position that the flange 23 folds up and the keeper 24 folds down over it. A pair of slits 2-6, 21 in the keeper form flaps 28, 29, 39 of which the center flap 29 is designed to be caughtbehind the upfolded flange 23 as shown in Fig. 2. The wings l3 are caught at their inner corners, together with the panels I 6, under the flaps 28, 30. Thus, in the position of Fig. 2, the wings can be pulled from under the flaps 28, 3?] by grasping their lower corners and pulling them apart, permitting a comparatively slight effort from within the envelope 24 to dislodge the flap 29 from the flange 23.

Within the envelope is a thin, red tongue or show-piece of paper 3| attached to the panel 25 at one end, folded beneath the flange 23 at its midpart, and extended freely upward beneath keeper 24 as shown in Fig. 5. This paper tongue is preferably flexible.

Attached at points 4!, 42 to the folds l2, II by small metal clips is a rubber band 43 of two or more strands between which is centrally caught a buzzer 50, which may be a small piece of cardboard.

In operating this amusement device the buzzer :53 is wound up until the rubber band 43 is under considerable tension, tending to pull the wings allowed to take the position of Fig. 1 and the keeper 24 is looked over them as in Fig. 2, the

center flap 29 going inside the flange 23 and the end flaps 28, 30 covering the inner corners of the wings, which in turn tend under the pull of the rubber band to hold the flange 23 against dislodgment.

When the wings l3 are pulled apart the tension of the bands 43 upon the buzzer 56 increases,

the bands tend to unwind, the panels IE unfold releasing the flange 23 and prying the keeper .24 from the flange aided by the bands and the buzzer, the keeper is ejected by the buzzer to the position of Fig. 6, the tongue 3| is thrust into view by the buzzer, and the buzzer does a sharp and startling signal on the keeper and the flange. To people who are not expecting it, the sudden aeeaooa 4 The device is preferably enclosed in an errbuzzer element and to draw said inwardly folded side-panel portions against said body panel so that the elastic member is positioned relatively close to the body panel and the buzzer element is restrained by said body panel against rotation by said elastic member, a keeper hinged. to said body panel parallel to the longitudinal axisof said panel and adapted to be folded over the ten- .sioned elastic member said buzzer element and inner portions of said side panels, said keeper projecting beyond said buzzer element in folded posivelope painted with the same design that appears I on the toy, and bearing an intriguing statement calculated to lead the reader to pull out the wings, release the buzzer, and eject the tongue. For instance, when the design is of a Sphinx, the statement might be:

The. Sphinx answers It has finally been discovered that the Sphinx became silent 4,000 years ago because it heard men call it a monster. Not one for snap judgmentsfit studied men well before formulating its reply, which profound product of 4,000 years of thought you may now learn by pulling its ears apart.

The two pieces of cardboard may be replaced by a single piece appropriately shaped if desired,'

and it is even possible to make the tongue integral with the fiange, although the material of the cardboard is so heavy that it is better to make the tongue out of a separate, lighter, and differently colored piece. are a psychological invention calculated to lead people to pull out the Sphinxs ears; other type "infolds would be as practical.

The toy is useful as a favor for parties, and

tion, and means on said body panel and cooperating with the free end of said keeper for releasably holdingthe latter against said side panels and said buzzer element, said side panels when unfolded through outward pulling action thereon being adapted to effect release of said keeper from said holding means and further tensioning of said elastic member and movement of the latter and said buzzer element away from 'said body panel, whereupon said buzzer element is'ra'p'idly rotated by the untwisting of said strands l to create a vibrating sound against a portion of said 7 body panel.

The diagonal infolds may be found to be particularly suited under selected dress to the purposes of political banquets. Its various guises and uses are truly manifold. Its cost is small in comparison to the very *moderate'price for which it can be sold.

2. An amusement device as defined in claim 1, wherein said keeper-holding means comprises a folded flange on the body panel opposite the keeper and having opposite end portions positioned under the inwardly folded portions of the side panels, and the keeper is provided with spaced slits in the free end thereof adapted to receive said flange and forming a flap on'said keeper adapted to be inserted between said flange and said body panel.

3. An amusement device as defined in claim 2, wherein the elastic member is connected to the side panels adjacent said flange, and the tensioned buzzer element is inserted between said flange and the body panel, said buzzer element being withdrawn from between said flange and body panel through unfolding of the side panels and resulting movement of said elas- Although only a single embodiment of the present invention is herein described and illustrated, it is to be expressly understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Various changes may be made in the design and arrangement of parts and in the materials used without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as

will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For a definition of the limits of the invention, reference" is had primarily to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An amusement device comprising a sheet of relatively stiff paper material, such as card stock, providing a central body panel and side panels integral'with and at opposite sides of said body panel, said side panels each consisting of a portion folded inwardly over one face of said body' adapted to twist said strands together and placethe latter under tension tending to rotate said tic member away from said body panel, and said buzzer element upon rapid rotation thereof by said elastic member creating a vibrating sound against said flange.

4. An amusement device as defined in claim 1, comprising a flat pliable show-piece disposed centrally between the inwardly folded side-panel portions and having one end thereof connected to the body panel, said show-piece having its free end portion positioned in overlying operative relation to the tensioned buzzer element between the latter and the infolded keeper and such that it extends toward the hinge point of said keeper, said free end portion of the showpiece being adapted to be thrust outwardly away from the body panel and projected beyond the free end of the keeper and the adjacent longitudinal edge of said body panel by the buzzer 5. An amusement device comprising a sheet of relatively stiff paper material, such as card stock,

providing a central body panel and side panels integral with and at opposite sides of said body panel, said side panels each consisting of a portion folded inwardly over one face of said body panel and another portion folded outwardly over said inwardly folded portion and projecting be- 8 yond the latter portion, the length of said inwardly folded side-panel portions combined be ing less than the length of said body panel leaving a free space between said inwardly folded portions, one of said inwardly and outwardly folded portions of each side panel being folded on a line extending diagonally of the body panel, and the other of said folded portions being folded on a line normal to the longitudinal axis of said body panel and intersecting said diagonal fold line at one end thereof, said fold lines providing a triangular-shaped inwardly folded side-panel portion, the diagonal fold line of one side panel extending in a direction opposite that of the diagonal fold line of the other side panel, a double-stranded elastic member extending across said space and having opposite ends thereof connected to said side panels on the fold lines of the outwardly folded portions adjacent the ends of said lines opposite the ends thereof intersecting the fold lines of the inwardly folded triangular portions, a buzzer element positioned centrally of and between the strands of said elastic member, said buzzer element when manually rotated being adapted to twist said strands together and place the latter under tension tending to rotate said buzzer element and to draw said inwardly folded triangular side-panel portions against said body panel so that the elastic member is positioned relatively close to the body panel and the buzzer element is restrained by said body panel against rotation by said elastic member, a keeper hinged to said body panel at one side of said elastic member and adjacent the inter secting ends of the fold lines of the inwardly and outwardly folded portions of said side panels, said keeper being adapted to be folded over said elastic member, said buzzer element and inner portions of said side panels, a folded flange on said body panel at the opposite side of and adjacent to said elastic member, said flange having opposite end portions positioned under the inwardly folded triangular portions of said side panels, said buzzer element after manual rotation thereof to twist the strands of the elastic member together being placed under said flange, said keeper having longitudinally spaced slits in the free end thereof forming a flap adapted to be tucked under said flange between the latter and the tensioned buzzer element to releasably hold said keeper in folded position and against said side panels and said buzzer element, said side panels when unfolded through outward pulling action thereon being adapted to withdraw said keeper from said flange, increase the tension of said elastic member and move the latter away from said body panel, whereupon said buzzer element is withdrawn from said flange and is rapidly rotated by the untwisting of said strands to create a vibrating sound against said flange.

6. An amusement device as defined in claim 5, comprising a flat pliable show-piece disposed centrally between the inwardly folded triangular side-panel portions and having one end thereof connected to the body panel, said show-piece having its free end portion positioned in overlying operative relation to the tensioned buzzer element between the latter and the infolded keeper and such that it extends toward the hinge point of said keeper, said free end portion of the show-piece being adapted to be thrust outwardly away from the body panel and folded over the flange by the buzzer element when the latter is rotated by the elastic member upon unfolding of the side panels and release of said keeper thereby, said free end portion of the show-piece when folded oversaid flange projecting beyond the latter and the body panel, whereupon said buzzer element through continued rotation thereof by said elastic member creates a vibrating sound against the projected folded-over free end portion of said show-piece.

GEORGE H. MULLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 235,641 Morris Dec. 21, 1880 296,941 Diener Apr. 15, 1884 329,068 Nugent Oct. 27, 1885 689,514 Perry Dec. 24, 1901 798,862 Allworth Sept. 5, 1905 1,380,303 Nevin May 31, 1921 1,551,231 Aronson Aug. 25, 1925 1,726,283 Yates Aug. 27, 1929 1,858,535 Adams May 17, 1932 2,111,179 Dillard Mar. 15, 1938 2,218,455 Schneider Oct. 15, 1940 2,227,343 Haislip Dec. 31, 1940 2,447,946 La Forge Aug. 24, 1948 2,487,481 Savitt Nov. 8. 1949 

